Thought leadership for the social media generation

Creating a successful brand requires not just a marketable product or service, but also a successful marketing strategy. This strategy needs to help establish the brand as a respected thought leader in the industry.

The phrase “Thought Leadership” is one of those marketing buzzwords that can be interpreted in a number of ways. But cut through the jargon, and you will find a pretty simple and very human concept: using your area of expertise to engage in dialogue with consumers and competition alike. Offering answers to questions people may have, and providing entertaining and thoughtful insight into the profession will help to expose your brand to a wider audience.

If people feel your brand is more than just the product and services it offers, but also a leader within the profession in general, you will have a distinct advantage over competitors. The most successful companies within any profession should use their social media voice not just to advertise their own services and products, but also to show awareness of developing and contentious areas of their market. For example, commentating on regulatory changes or reform of state-funded legal aid shows you are a well-rounded and informed firm.

When it comes to law firms, thought leadership is a relatively untapped concept with huge benefits. Sitting back and allowing other law firms to utilise this approach before you do will only prevent you from reaching out to more prospective clients. The consultancy firm Bloom Consulting Group identified seven areas that a brand must remember when developing thought leadership strategies. These include: validity, novelty, relevance, rigour, practicality, depth and clarity. For example, you might have conducted research on a specific question relevant to your field. You can publish the results in a number of ways: 

- Visually through the use of a data rich infographic. Or alternatively by writing about the research on your blog page.

- You could tweet certain findings, in short, snappy sound bites that make Twitter what it is.

- By offering an in-depth talk on the results at a seminar with questions and answers.

The way you choose to apply the seven factors that Bloom identified is up to you. That is the essence of thought leadership; creatively and confidently presenting relevant and thought provoking content for your target audience. It will help get them thinking, sharing, and engaging with your firm. This interaction will develop your firm’s voice within areas of current legal debate, whilst attracting new clients.